Staff photos by Chuck CookJefferson Parish first responders and the Coast Guard stage a rescue exercise Thursday under the scenario of a bus plunging off the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and dumping numerous people in the water. The purpose of the exercise was to test the effectiveness of using the National Incident Management System Unified Command Training to manage the response to a large emergency. The exercise placed commanders from all agencies in one command post to make joint decisions.
Jefferson Parish firefighters played the role of victims in the water.